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Comment by scottmcmac

20 hours ago

A recent NBC News poll gave "AI" a -20% net approval rating. If you're in the U.S., the people you run into IRL are kinda weird.

(I didn't quickly find polls for the rest of the world)

Perhaps they are, but I think what I think is odd is how many are simultaneously opposed to the effects of AI (data centers, environmental impact, job loss) yet also are daily, paying users of it even outside of work. I know several who are like that.

I wonder how many in that poll have a negative sentiment about AI, yet are also heavy users. There seems to be some kind of disconnect going on?

  • > I wonder how many in that poll have a negative sentiment about AI, yet are also heavy users. There seems to be some kind of disconnect going on?

    Being a heavy user seems like it'd create a lot of resentment if you don't actually enjoy doing it.

    If you have used a tool for years and years and suddenly it shoves in a bunch of AI, like Duolingo or Google, are you a heavy user who may well dislike the results?

    I have to put in some work to not be a heavy user by any reasonable definition.

    • ChatGPT has been downloaded >1 billion times on the Android PlayStore. AI is incredibly popular.

      People have all sorts of concerns about how AI will change society, but that's precisely because it's so useful for so many things. If it were useless or just a fad, there would be no reason to worry.

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